


A Long Day

by GallifreyanFairytale



Series: OQ Prompt Party 2017 [6]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, OQ Prompt Party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-20 08:35:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11917158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GallifreyanFairytale/pseuds/GallifreyanFairytale
Summary: "it's been a long day without you, my friendand i'll tell you all about it when i see you again"based on prompt 25: "Regina and Robin meet Daniel/Marian in the Underworld"





	A Long Day

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I am well aware the song lyrics in the summary are overused, but I also don't care.

_ it’s been a long day without you, my friend _

 

It was like coming home to the house you grew up in, but it just wasn’t home anymore. It held all the memories of your childhood, but you no longer love it like you once did.

 

His face was exactly as Regina remembered. She had expected that, though. After all, you don’t age after you die. He smiled and Regina couldn’t help but smile back. If not for the fact that everything in the Underworld was an ugly shade of red because of the sky, Regina may have been able to trick herself into thinking he was still alive.

 

“Regina?” her name fell out of his mouth and it sounded  _ right _ .

 

He dropped the bucket in his hands and walked over to her, careful to not walk too fast in case she wasn’t ready for this. But once he was close enough, Regina felt herself embrace him.

 

“Daniel,” she finally whispered his name as her eyes slipped shut.

 

The hug felt exactly as Regina remembered. It took her back to the days when neither of them had a care in the world and nothing could hurt them, not even Cora.

 

Regina knew she needed to break the hug. She hadn’t come here to catch up with Daniel, no matter how much she might want to. They were here because she needed to help Daniel move on and weaken Hades.

 

Speaking of  _ they _ …

 

Regina cleared her throat and stepped back. “Daniel, this is… Robin.” Regina gestured to the thief. “Robin… this is Daniel.”

 

Robin stepped forward and held his hand out. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve heard so many good things.” 

 

Daniel shook Robin’s hand. “I’ve been doing what I can to keep tabs on Regina in the land of the living. According to many of the people here, you two are together?”

 

Robin glanced back at Regina, who nodded. “Y-Yeah.”

 

“Then it’s a pleasure to meet you, Robin. I was, however, wondering if I might speak to Regina alone? I understand that you may not want--”

 

“It’s fine. I know how Regina must be feeling, so I’ll leave you to it. Call me if you need me, okay Regina?”

 

Regina nodded, “I will.” Robin began to walk out, but Regina grabbed his hand, “Wait.” She pressed a light kiss to his cheek and whispered a  _ ‘thank you’  _ in his ear.

 

\---

 

Regina could feel the eyes on her and Daniel as they walked down the streets of Underbrooke. It was the first time Regina had been spotted without the protection of either Robin or Emma and the Charmings. Many of the Underworld’s residents knew Daniel - he had been here a while, after all - but only a few knew of his connection to the Evil Queen before she was evil.

 

“I’ve heard the gossip, of course, but I want to know everything that happened since my death,” Daniel said. “How much of it is true and how much is exaggerated.”

 

Regina sighed. “I did horrible things after my mother killed you. I had so many chances to stop and choose to be good, but I never did, because being evil was always easier. I never had any reason to be good until Henry came along.”

 

“Your son?”

 

Regina nodded. “I adopted him years after I cast the Dark Curse, not knowing he was the Savior’s son. But even after I found out, I just… I couldn’t give him up. I wanted to give him the mother I never had. But once Snow gave him the storybook and he figured out about the curse, I did a really bad job of it. It was only because I didn’t want to lose him to Emma completely that I decided to change. Because though being evil was easier, it didn’t make me any friends. I was  _ awful _ , Daniel. If you knew everything I did...you wouldn’t want anything to do with me anymore.”

 

“On the contrary, I  _ do _ know a lot of what you did. I talk to people, I wanted to know what was happening to you, and I didn’t have any trouble getting information as soon as I figured out my Regina was the same Regina who had become the Evil Queen. But I also began to hear whispers of redemption a few years back, and once Cruella de Vil made her way down here, she confirmed everything. And I am very proud of you, Regina. Not many people could turn back to good after going down the path you went down, but you did. You never let the girl I fell in love with fully die.”

 

Regina looked over at Daniel, “Really?”

 

Daniel nodded, “Really. When I heard that you had moved on, I was sad at first, but I knew you deserved to be happy. And if you truly had moved on, that most likely meant that you truly had changed. I wondered if, when you did die, you would come back to me, but now that I see the way you look at Robin, I know that will never happen. But I’m strangely okay with that. You’ve changed so much, and although you’re good again, you’re not the innocent girl I fell in love with anymore. She still lives inside you, but you aren’t her. We all change over time, and I just wish I could have been there to help you.”

 

“You didn’t need to be,” Regina assured him. “I never stopped thinking about you. I wore the ring you gave me for longer than I care to admit. I think the thought of you was what reminded me that I had the potential to be good.”

 

“Then I am very glad I could be of assistance. I’m so glad I got to talk to you again, Regina.”

 

Regina smiled, “Me too.”

 

\---

 

Robin had returned to the Charmings’ apartment, but refused to tell anyone where Regina was. He assured them all that she was safe and that if he didn’t think she was, he wouldn’t have left her. Emma still seemed on edge, but everyone else had believed him.

 

There was a knock on the door and judging by the fact that everyone except Gold and Regina were in the apartment, it was most likely Regina. Robin got up to open the door because it was very likely Regina didn’t walk back alone, and Robin didn’t want to know what would happen if Snow opened the door and saw Daniel standing there.

 

Regina smiled nervously when Robin opened the door. “So, um, it looks like we’re going to need Snow if we want to get Daniel to Olympus…”

 

\---

 

“Hold on, so this is the guy whose death basically set up the course of most of our lives?” Emma asked. “He’s here, in this apartment?  _ This _ is him?”

 

“Yes, yes, this is Daniel. Daniel, this is Emma, the  _ annoying  _ daughter of Snow and Charming. You know Snow,” Regina gestured vaguely in the direction of Snow, “and Charming is her husband. Next to Emma is Hook, the whole reason we’re down here in the first place,” Regina glared at Hook, “and that’s Henry, my son. And of course, you already met Robin.

 

“Okay, I think I’ve got it. Except… what does Hook have to do with this?”

 

Regina rolled her eyes, “He’s Emma’s boyfriend. Other than that,” Regina shrugged, “he serves no purpose.”

 

“Hey!”

 

“It’s the truth. Anyways, the plan is to help Daniel finish his unfinished business so he can move on to Olympus. In order to do that, he needs to talk to Snow.”

 

Snow’s eyes widened when she heard her name. She pointed to herself, “Me?”

 

Daniel nodded. “I need you to know that I don’t blame you for what happened to me, and you shouldn’t blame yourself either. I saw what Cora was capable of, and it didn’t come as a surprise that she tricked you, an impressionable ten-year-old. ...And Henry,” Daniel turned to look at the boy, who clearly hadn’t been expecting to be addressed, “I wish I could have said this sooner, but I might as well say it now. Please don’t ever give up on your mother. I promise she’s doing her best to raise you, but she didn’t have a good mother to learn from. She wants the best for you, I know she does.” Daniel looked around the room, “In fact, I’m fairly certain everyone in this room only wants the best for you.”

 

\---

 

The last thing Regina wanted to do was let go of Daniel’s hand so soon after reuniting with him. But he was dead, and she was not, and he had the right to move on to a better place.

 

“I’ll see you again someday,” Regina promised as she let go of his hand.

 

“It better not be after you’ve lived a long life of happiness,” Daniel warned. “Once that happens, I will look forward to seeing you.”

 

Regina smiled. “I’ll look forward to seeing you too.” She made a split second decision to lean forward and kiss Daniel’s cheek. “I won’t ever forget you, I promise.”

 

“And I won’t forget you either, Regina.” Daniel took a deep breath and turned to face the ledge. He walked closer to it, taking cautious steps. Soon, a white light shone down on him and he gave Regina one last smile before he was taken to Olympus, where he would spend the rest of his death.

 

As soon as the light died down, Robin came up next to Regina and wrapped an arm around her. Regina leaned her head on her shoulder and let the tears fall from her eyes. She wasn’t sure whether the tears were born of sadness, joy, or a little bit of both, but she was tired of holding them back.

 

“You ready to go back to the apartment?” Robin asked.

 

Regina shook her head. “I just want to stay here for a minute.”

 

Robin hugged Regina tighter, allowing her to cry for the moment. Soon, they would have to head back to the apartment so the others didn’t worry, but for now, Regina had the right to some time alone after what she’d been through.


End file.
